The Miami Heat got another tough home win on Tuesday night. Finding out that they would be without Jimmy Butler just before tip-off, with him sustaining an injury during warmups, they would be without their best player in the game.
The team said the injury was sustained during pregame warm-ups. https://t.co/S5RotlJr81
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) January 24, 2023
And though it appeared early that the Miami Heat would be just fine, it was a different story as the game went down the stretch. After being down as many as 14 points early in the third period, the Miami Heat would take just a seven-point deficit into the fourth.
And from that point on, they would ride the backs of some Miami Heat defense to victory, 98-95. Now, that’s the abbreviated version and what’s most important about the game, but there are three main guys that deserve mention here.
Tyler Herro would be the first. Listen, he didn’t play well, at all.
However, he still comes out on the right side of this one because when it mattered the most, he made the plays on both sides of the ball. You need him to be better than this, throughout the game, for the Miami Heat to do what they ultimately hope to do in the postseason but seeing him tough through a rough game for him to come through in the end for his team is great.
Secondly, Haywood Highsmith was critical. The next guy of note is and was the star of the show, but Highsmith deserves the game ball.
The Miami Heat came into this game hobbled, only finding out right before tip. And though not pretty, they would find a way to squeak one out.
The Miami Heat absolutely lose this game without him. If not for his big shot-making, toughness, and gritty two-way play all game long, they have no shot of winning it.
And lastly, as mentioned, the stars of this one were the late Miami Heat defense and of course, Bam Adebayo.
When you look at the fourth quarter, when it mattered the most, Bam was absolutely the best player on the floor for either team and on both sides of the ball. He won the game on both offense and defense.
He made the shots that his team needed him to make and he made the huge defensive plays that he needed to make as well.
Take for example a late lob attempt that was a surefire bucket for Robert Williams, one that would have put the Celtics back up with mere moments to go. It was Bam Adebayo that deflected the ball into the hands of his teammate.
At any point throughout the fourth period but specifically, to answer the Celtics in the course of that same flurry of late back and forths, it was Bam Adebayo nailing his signature mid-range jumper to seal it for the Miami Heat. His hands were all over this one.
On a night where they didn’t have Jimmy Butler and it looked to be going haywire in critical moments, this was a good win for the Miami Heat. They beat the best team in the league, in comeback fashion, and all without their best player on the floor.